Safety attachment for railway-cars.



B. HOOVER.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JAILS, 1914.

1,093,854. Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

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Wit nesses fl Inventor v Attorneys rrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN HOOVER, OF MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Apr. 21, 1914.

7 Application filed January 3, 1914. Serial No. 810,212.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, BENJAMIN HOOVER, a

citizen of the United States, residing atlarly to a safety attachment for car trucksq It is the object of the present invention to provide a safety attachment applicable to the air line or train pipe of a car, and arranged to be actuated by an abnormal or excessive movement of the truck relative toi the car body, for opening the air line or train pipe, whereby the automatic brakes will be applied for arresting or checking the movement of the train.

It is also the object of the present inven pipe, in connection with novel means for operatively connecting the said valve to the truck, whereby the truck may ordinarily have slight swinging movements relative to thecar body, as when rounding curves, without interfering with the valve, and whereby upon an abnormal movement of the truck relative to the car body, the valve will be opened.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a unique valve structure for connection with a train pipe, and for connection with the car truck, to the ends above noted.

It is also within the spirit of the above invention to provide an attachment of the character above noted, which will be comparatively simple, non-encumbering and inexpensive in construction, as well as being simple, practical, and efficient in operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the present invent-ion resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 isa fragmental end view of a railway car, illustrating the present attachment applied to one truck and the train plpe. Fig. 2 is a central section of the valve structure. Fig. 3 is a cross section of the valve structure taken on the line 3-3 of 'Fig. 2.

Inthe drawing, the numeral 1 designates the car body, mounted upon the truck 2, the usual train pipe 3, being carried by the bottom of the car body 1, to control the usual automatic brakes (not shown).

In carrying out the present invention, a pair of arch or inverted U-shaped bars 4 and 5 straddle one pair of wheels 7 and have their outer ends clamped or attached to the oil boxes 6 in any suitable manner. The inner ends or arms of the arch bars 4: and 5 are operatively connected to a valve structure 8 attached to the train pipe 3, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The valve structure 8 embodies a cylindrical or tubular casing 9 having its ends open, and having its upper end threaded over the lower extremity of a short pipe 10 dropped from the train pipe 3 between the wheels 7 of the truck. The lower end of the valve casing 9 is provided with an inner rabbet or counterbore 11, in which is seated a gasket 12, the gasket 12 being fitted tightly within the rabbet or socket l1, completely within the lower end or mouth of the valve casing 9. A disk or cap 13 forming the valve proper is normally seated against the bottom of the gasket 12, and is provided with diametrically opposite radial lugs 14: fitting within slots or notches 15 in'the lower end of the valve casing, the valve 13 fitting flush within the lower end of the valve oasing. The lower end portion of the valve casing is provided with diametrically opposite lugs 16 adjoining the slots or bifurcated openings 15, through which the said slots or openings 15 extend. The valve casing is further provided with lugs 17 above the lugs 16 or adjoining the upper end of the casing. The lugs 16 and 17 are provided with the vertical or longitudinal channels 18 and 19, which are in alinement at the opposite sides of the valve casing. Leaf springs 20 have their butt ends secured within the channels 19 of the upper lugs 17, by means of screws or other fastening means 21, and have their free end portions normally fitting within the channels 18 of the lower lugs 16.

The free ends of the lugs 14: of the valve 13, are provided with pins or nibs 22, normally received by apertures 23 formed in the free end portions of the springs 20, to thereby support the valve in tight engagement with the, gasket 12 to close the passage through the valve casing. The outlet opening or mouth of the valve casing, is thus normally closed, to prevent the escape of air from the train pipe, until the valve 13 is opened. The lower or free ends of the springs 20 are bent angularly inward, under the lugs 14, to assist in supporting the valve 13, and to also prevent the valve from dropping to the road bed, when the valve is opened or unseated. The adjoining portions of the lugs 16 and 17 are provided with undercut transverse grooves 25, which in connection with the space between the respective lugs 16 and 17, form the T-shaped slots or guides 26.

A slide, which is in the form of a strip 27, is slidable through each of the slots or guides 26, and has its edge portions engaging the grooves 25 of the respective lugs 16 and 17, each of the slides or strips 27 being provided with cams 28 adjoining its ends and normally spaced from the lugs 16 and 17, and the spring 20. One of the strips or slides 27 is connected at one end to the inner end of the arch bar 4, by means of a chain 29, and the other end of the said strip 27 is connected by means of a chain 30, having an interposed link 31, to aspool 32 mounted upon the inner angular end 33 of the arch bar 5, by means of a clamp bolt 34. Ordinarily the chains 29 and 30 may be slackened slightly to permit of the lost motion, when thetruck swings relative to the car body, as when roundin a curve. The chains 29 and 30 may be readily adjusted by loosening the bolt or pintle 34 and properly rotating the spool 32, as will be obvious. The other strip or slide 27 has its ends connected to the ends of the usual brake beam (not shown), by chains or other flexible elements 29 and 30, in order to open the feed pipe or air line, should the brake beam become detached, as often results in accidents or wrecks. The brake beam in being loosened, will open the valve, in the manner above described, in some instances both of the slides may be operated to open the valve 13.

Under normal conditions, the valve 13 being closed or seated, will prevent the escape of the compressed air or pressure fluid from the train pipe 3, and the flexible connections between the arch bars 4 and 5 of the respective valve-actuating slide 27 will permit the truck to have limited movements relative to the car body, without opening the valve 13. For any reason should the truck wheels leave the rails or become derailed, so as to swing the truck abnormally or excessively relative to the car body, the respective slide or strip 27 will be slid in one direction to suclr an extent as to wedge one of the cams or wedges 28 between the valve casing and one of the springs 20, so as to force the said spring 20 outwardly so as to release the respective pin or nib 22 from the corresponding aperture 23 of the spring, whereby the valve 13 may drop slightly, the angular end 24 of the said spring also releasing the corresponding lug lt of the valve. Thus, the valve 13, will be unseated, to open the valve casing, and consequently, the air may escape from the train pipe, so as to apply the automatic air brakes for bringing the train to a halt. The released pin 22 will be caught by the angular end or catch 24 of the respective spring 20 so as to prevent the valve from dropping to the roadbed, the valve being readily reseated by pressing the same upwardly until the pins 22 are engaged by the apertures 23 and until the angular ends 24 snap under the lugs 14c of the valve. In a manner similar to the foregoing, should the trucks of one car be caused to follow the main track, and switch or siding, as not infrequently results, one of the trucks will be swung abnormally or excessively relative to the car body, so as to bring the corresponding safety attachment into operation, it being understood that each truck is provided with one of the present devices.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the drawing, it will be obvious to those versed in the art, that the present apparatus will provide an effective and desirable safety attachment of the nature indicated, whereby wrecks will be prevented, upon the accidental derailment or abnormal movement of the truck relative to the car body.

The present attachment may be readily applied to the truck and car body, and does not appreciably encumber the truck or car body, the present attachn'lent being completely and effectively housed underneath the car.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In combination with a car truck and body, brake applying means carried by the body, and arch bars straddling certain of the truck wheels, the outer ends of the said bars being attached to the oil boxes of the said wheels, and the inner ends of the said bars being operatively connected to the aforesaid means.

2. The combination with a car truck and body, of brake applying means carried by the body, arch bars straddling certain of the truck wheels and having their outer ends attached to the oil boxes of the said wheels, and flexible connections between the inner ends of the said bars and the aforesaid means.

3. The combination with a car truck and body, and a train pipe carried by the body, of a valve casing attached to the train pipe, a valve normally closing the said casing, and arch bars straddling certain of the truck wheels, having their outer ends attached to the oil boxes of the said wheels and having their inner ends operatively connected to the said valve for opening the same upon an abnormal swinging movement of the truck.

4. The combination with a car truck and body, and a train pipe carried by the body, of a valve casing attached to the train pipe, a valve for normally closing the said casing, detent means carried by the casing for holding the valve seated, a slide carried by the said casing and arranged to release the detent when the slide is moved to a predetermined distance in either direction, arch bars straddling certain of the truck wheels, and having their outer ends attached to the oil boxes of the said wheels, and flexible connections between the inner ends of the said bars and the ends of the said slide.

5. In a safety attachment of the character described, a valve casing arranged for connection with a train pipe, a valve seatable within the said casing to normally close the same, detent means carried by the casing and cooperable With the valve to normally hold the same seated, and a slide carried by the casing adapted for connection to a car truck and arranged to release the said detent upon a predetermined movement of the slide in either direction.

6. In a safety attachment of the character described, a valve casing adapted for connection to a train pipe, a valve seatable within the casing to close the passage therethro-ugh, a yieldable detent carried by the casing and cooperable with the valve to normally hold the same seated, and a slide carried by the casing, arranged for connection with a car truck, and having cams cooperable with the said detent upon a predetermined movement of the slide in either direction, to release the same.

7. In a safety attachment of the character described, a valve casing arranged for connection, at one end, to a train pipe, and having a valve seat at its other end, a disk valve cooperable with the said seat and having a radial lug, the last mentioned end of the casing having a slot normally receiving the said lug, a yieldable detent carried by the casing and having its free portion cooperable with the said lug to normally hold the valve seated, and a slide carried by the casing, adapted for connection with a car truck, and having wedges to release the detent, upon a predetermined movement of the slide in either direction.

8. In a safety attachment of the character described,a valve casing for connection, at one end, to a train pipe, and having a valve seat at its other end, the valve casing having diametrically opposite slots in its last mentioned end, lugs adjoining the said slots and lugs cooperating with the aforesaid lugs, to provide guides, a disk valve fitting within the last mentioned end of the valve casing and having diametrically opposite radial lugs fitting in the said slots, the lugs having nibs at their free ends, leaf springs having their butts secured to the second mentioned lugs, the free ends of the springs being bent angularly and normally engaging under the said valve lugs to hold the valve seated, the springs having apertures normally receiving the said nibs, and strips slidable through the said guides, the ends of the strips being adapted for connection with a car truck, and the strips having wedges adjoining their ends for wedging between the-valve casing and said springs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN HOOVER.

Witnesses:

GEO. F. HAND, E. DIAL,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

